00:00Highway concessionaires are questioning the need for Putrajaya to be involved in the implementation
00:08of the multi-lane free-flow project, according to sources.
00:13This comes after Deputy Works Minister Ahmad Mazlan told the Dewan Rakyat that Putrajaya
00:18intends to issue a request for proposal as its Plan B, with the aim of reducing the project's
00:24cost.
00:25While concessionaires agree that Putrajaya can ask for a RFP, the source said they are
00:30of the view that privately owned highway operators should be at liberty to select the firms they
00:36wish to engage to implement the project.
00:39He said giving the major project to a single company meant the firm would obtain a long-term
00:44concession on toll collections, breaching existing concession agreements.
00:49Of the 33 highways in the country, only seven are fully owned by the government directly
00:54or indirectly, while the rest are owned and built by private entities.
00:59Another source disputed Ahmad's claim that a RFP will bring down the cost, arguing that
01:04allowing concessionaires to convert toll plazas to the MLFF system at their own expense will
01:10be more cost-effective.
01:12The MLFF system would see toll fees collected at specific points along a highway without
01:17vehicles stopping or slowing down, thereby easing traffic congestion.
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